The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women Secretariat.
AS WRITTEN
Statement by Zambia
United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
6th September 1995, Beijing, China
MADAM PRESIDENT,
HER EXCELLENCY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, YOUR EXCELLENCIES HEADS OF DELEGATIONS,
DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I JOIN OTHER DISTINGUISHED DELEGATIONS IN CONGRATULATING YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT, ON YOUR ELECTION AS PRESIDENT OF THIS HISTORIC MEETING. I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE GRATITUDE AND DEEP APPRECIATION TO YOU AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA FOR THE VERY WARM WELCOME AND HOSPITALITY ACCORDED TO MY DELEGATION SINCE OUR ARRIVAL IN CHINA. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE AS ZAMBIANS ARE VERY MUCH AT HOME HERE IN BEIJING.
I PAY SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND MRS. GERTRUDE MONGELLA, THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE CONFERENCE, FOR THEIR ADMIRABLE EFFORTS IN ORGANIZING THIS MEETING IT IS INDEED A PLEASURE AND AN HONOUR TO BE PART AND PARCEL OF THIS GLOBAL CONFERENCE WHICH, IN ITSELF, IS LIVING TESTIMONY IN CONSENSUS BUILDING GEARED AT FINDING COMMON GROUND BY WHICH TO EXPRESS OUR RECIPROCAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS BOTH IN THE NORTH SOUTH AND SOUTH - SOUTH RELATIONSHIPS.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY SHARING OUR EXPERIENCES AS ZAMBIAN WOMEN WITH OUR SISTERS FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE GLOBE. ON THE ROAD TO EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN ZAMBIA HAS MADE SOME GREAT STRIDES, ESPECIALLY FOLLOWING THE TRANSITION FROM ONE PARTY TO MULTIPARTY SYSTEM OF
GOVERNMENT. FOR INSTANCE, SINCE 1991 ZAMBIA HAS HAD A NEW AND MODERN CONSTITUTION THAT GUARANTEED EQUALITY TO WOMEN AND MEN. IN 1993, ZAMBIA SAW THE CREATION OF A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TO GATHER EVIDENCE ABOUT THE STATUS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE COUNTRY. THE STATE PRESIDENT LAUNCHED THE PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM PROGRAMME TO ADDRESS THE LONG STANDING PROBLEMS OF TRADITIONALLY TOO LARGE, INEFFICIENT AND NON-PRODUCTIVE PUBLIC SERVICE.
WITHIN A SPAN OF TWO YEARS GOVERNMENT APPOINTED A SECOND CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW INTENDED TO CORRECT ONCE AND FOR ALL REMNANTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF THE PREVIOUS REGIME.
DESPITE THESE ADVANCES INTO CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEWS AND DEMOCRATIC
GOVERNANCE RAMPANT DE FACTO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN CONTINUES. SOCIAL PREJUDICE CONTINUES TO BE A SERIOUS OBSTACLE AND A CULTURE OF MALE
DOMINANCE HAS CONTINUED WITH NO SERIOUS CHALLENGE TO IT, BY FEMALES. IT HAS BECOME VERY CLEAR THAT GENUINE WOMEN'S ADVANCEMENT WILL ONLY COME ABOUT IF MORE WOMEN CURRENTLY IN THE NGO MOVEMENT STRIVE TO ENTER
DECISION-MAKING PORTFOLIOS. BOTH WOMEN AND MEN NEED TO WORK MUCH HARDER TO ENSURE THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE CRITICAL MASS OF OUR WOMEN.
MADAM PRESIDENT, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT CONTINUES TO ELUDE THE WOMEN OF ZAMBIA. THIS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO BOTH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FACTORS, NOT LEAST OF WHICH IS THE ECONOMIC SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY. THE IMPACT OF DROUGHT IN SOUTHERN AFRICA COUPLED WITH THE STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT
PROGRAMME(SAP) HAS HAD A DEBILITATING EFFECT ON ALL VULNERABLE GROUPS OF OUR SOCIETY. WHILE RURAL WOMEN FACE A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS IN THE AREA OF EXTENSION SERVICES, INPUT SUPPLY, MARKETING, CREDIT AND LAND OWNERSHIP, URBAN WOMEN IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR LACK ACCESS TO CREDIT AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING.
MADAM PRESIDENT, AS YOU ARE AWARE, ZAMBIA IS UNDERTAKING A STRINGENT PROGRAMME OF RESTRUCTURING ITS ECONOMY. IN EMBARKING ON THE STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMME WE ARE MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT GOOD LIVING STANDARDS FOR OUR PEOPLE CANNOT BE ACHIEVED AND MAINTAINED WITHOUT SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH. THEREFORE, OUR CHALLENGE IS TO IMPLEMENT AN ECONOMIC REFORM PROGRAMME WHOSE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO PROMOTE GROWTH WITH STABILITY BASED ON AN EQUITABLE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.
OUR EXPERIENCES IN TERMS OF THE VERY IMMEDIATE RESULT OF THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROCESS HAS HAD SERIOUS SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES.
THE OVERWHELMING NUMBERS OF THOSE AFFECTED MOST ARE WOMEN, ESPECIALLY THE RURAL WOMEN WHO UNFORTUNATELY ARE IN THE MAJORITY. IN THIS CONTEXT, FEMINIZATION OF POVERTY IS A REAL PROBLEM POSING A SERIOUS CHALLENGE TO MY GOVERNMENT. THIS POVERTY HAS MANIFESTED ITSELF IN A NUMBER OF WAYS
INCLUDING LACK OF INCOME AND ACCESS TO PRODUCTIVE RESOURCES, HUNGER, LACK OF ADEQUATE NUTRITION RESULTING IN MALNUTRITION, ILL HEALTH, INCREASING MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY FROM ILLNESS, ESPECIALLY THE AIDS PANDEMIC. THIS POVERTY HAS ALSO LED TO LIMITED OR LACK OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND OTHER BASIC SERVICES, SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION AND EXCLUSION.
HOWEVER, ZAMBIA REMAINS FIRM THAT THESE MEASURES WILL, IN THE LONG RUN, YIELD POSITIVE RESULTS. OUR EXPERIENCE IN ZAMBIA HAS SHOWN THAT IT IS UNWISE TO EXPECT ANY RECIPIENT NATION TO REDESIGN THE STRUCTURAL
ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMME WHOSE CONDITIONS OF EXISTENCE ARE DETERMINED OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY BY OUTSIDERS. ZAMBIA TRIED IN 1986/87 TO QUIT THE STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMME BUT WAS FORCED RIGHT BACK BY INEVITABLE NECESSITY.
THEY SAY ONCE BEATEN, TWICE SHY. ZAMBIA HAS LEARNED THROUGH BITTER
EXPERIENCE THE NEED TO MERELY MINIMISE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SAP ON WOMEN AND OTHER VULNERABLE GROUPS BY DESIGNING PROGRAMMES THAT INCREASE WOMEN'S ACCESS TO CREDIT AND INVOLVE NGO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES.
MY GOVERNMENT FURTHER COMMITS ITSELF TO ENSURING FULL RETENTION OF GIRLS THROUGH THE EDUCATION SYSTEM. MADAM PRESIDENT, WE MAKE THIS COMMITMENT BECAUSE WE CONSIDER EDUCATION TO BE A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT AND WE CONSIDER IT TO BE THE MOST POWERFUL MEANS TO OBTAIN GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN'S SELF-EMPOWERMENT.
IN MAKING THIS COMMITMENT WE AS A GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF OUR PROGRAMMES HAVE NOT BEEN ENTIRELY SUCCESSFUL DUE MAINLY TO LIMITED
RESOURCES. MY GOVERNMENT HOWEVER, REMAINS STRONGLY COMMITTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN. WE HAVE FOR INSTANCE, INTRODUCED THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR INVESTMENT PROGRAMME(ASIP) WHICH AIMS AT HARMONIZING EXISTING AND FUTURE INVESTMENTS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN ORDER TO OPTIMIZE THE USE OF RESOURCES AND TO GET AWAY FROM PROJECT APPROACH TO AGRICULTURAL
DEVELOPMENT. THIS PROGRAMME (ASIP) ALSO ENSURES THAT WOMEN HAVE ACCESS TO CREDIT.
FOR EXAMPLE, GOVERNMENT HAS PROVIDED INCOME GENERATING FACILITIES TO WOMEN BY SUPERVISING THE DELIVERY OF A HAMMER MILL PROGRAMME UNDER WHICH
GRASSROOT WOMEN'S GROUPS RECEIVED HAMMER MILLS ON HIRE PURCHASE. THE HAMMER MILL PROJECT WAS DESIGNED NOT ONLY TO REDUCE THE WORK- LOAD OF WOMEN BUT ALSO TO EMPOWER THEM ECONOMICALLY.
THE GOVERNMENT, IN RECOGNIZING SOME OF THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THE
STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMME, HAS CREATED A CREDIT SCHEME FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WHICH IS CUSHIONING THE SUFFERING OF THE POOR. BY NEXT MONTH OUR GOVERNMENT WILL LAUNCH A MICRO BANKERS TRUST PROGRAMME WHICH IS AIMED AT EMPOWERING THE POOR ECONOMICALLY THROUGH THE DELIVERY OF A NATIONAL MICRO CREDIT SYSTEM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NGO FINANCIAL
INTERMEDIARIES.
THIS IS NOT AN EASY TASK TO ACCOMPLISH DUE TO THE PRESSURE TO MEET
ECONOMIC TARGETS SET BY THE LENDING AGENCIES.
MADAM PRESIDENT, POVERTY ERADICATION PROGRAMMES CAN ONLY SUCCEED IF THEY CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING THE INCOMES, HEALTH AND EDUCATION OF WOMEN TO RELEASE THEM FROM THE DOWNWARD ECONOMIC SPIRAL. I AM THEREFORE
GRATIFIED THAT THE PLATFORM OF ACTION HAS LAID EMPHASIS ON POVERTY, EDUCATION AND HEALTH. WE CERTAINLY ATTACH A LOT OF IMPORTANCE TO THESE CRITICAL AREAS AS THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR THE SURVIVAL OF MILLIONS OF WOMEN. WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE CANNOT SERIOUSLY BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN BEFORE ADDRESSING THE ISSUES OF POVERTY, EDUCATION AND HEALTH. IN THIS REGARD, MADAM PRESIDENT, MY GOVERNMENT WOULD LIKE TO COMMIT ITSELF TO ACHIEVING PARITY IN ENROLMENT OF GIRLS AND BOYS INTO SCHOOLS BY THE YEAR 2005.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS SET UP INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEES TO ENSURE ADEQUATE FEMALE PARTICIPATION OF OUT OF SCHOOL YOUTHS, 70 PERCENT OF WHOM ARE GIRLS. THE COMMITTEES WILL ALSO ENSURE THE PROVISION OF WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION. WITH SUPPORT FROM ALL OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS WE HOPE THAT THE NATIONAL GENDER POLICY WHICH SHOULD BE FINALIZED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR WILL MAKE GREAT STRIDES TOWARDS THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN.
MADAM PRESIDENT, THE WAY FORWARD FOR MY COUNTRY AND I DARE SAY OTHER COUNTRIES IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS IS IN CREATING A FAVORABLE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PROMOTION OF INVESTMENT FLOWS, INCREASED DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER, IMPROVED TRADE
OPPORTUNITIES AND BETTER TERMS OF TRADE. THIS SHOULD BE COUPLED WITH A VIABLE AND COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION TO THE DEBT CRISIS. ANY DEBT STRATEGY SHOULD INCLUDE DEBT CANCELLATION. IN THIS REGARD, MY DELEGATION FULLY SUPPORTS THE POSITIONS ADOPTED BY THE GROUP OF 77 AND THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT. WE WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOME POSITIVE MOVEMENTS WERE MADE IN COPENHAGEN AT THE SOCIAL SUMMIT WHICH MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT A
TRANSFORMATION OF POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DECISION-MAKING, AND DRASTIC CHANGES IN DOMESTIC PRIORITIES ARE KEY TO TACKLING THE WORLD'S SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. THE BEIJING PLATFORM OF ACTION NEEDS TO GO FURTHER THAN THAT AND NEEDS TO TRANSFORM WORDS INTO ACTION. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERLINE THE NEED TO REDRESS THE HUGE GENDER GAP AS QUICKLY AND AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
MADAM PRESIDENT, THIS TASK DEMANDS THAT WE AS MEMBER STATES, AVOID BEING DEFENSIVE OR BEING SIMPLISTIC OR TEMPTED TO ADDRESS ONLY EMERGENCIES OR POLITICALLY CORRECT ISSUES. WE HAVE TO EXAMINE THE CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIP AND SHOW THE DISPARITIES AS WELL AS THE LINKS IN THE LIVES AND LIVING CONDITIONS OF WOMEN AND MEN. WE HAVE TO CONFRONT THE OBSTACLES HINDERING WOMEN'S LEGITIMATE ACCESS TO ALL LEVELS OF DECISION-MAKING. TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS DEMANDS STRONG POLITICAL COMMITMENT FROM ALL MEMBER STATES AND GENUINE COOPERATION BETWEEN PARTNERS. WE HAVE TO FACE THESE PROBLEMS TOGETHER AS PARTNERS WITH OUR NGOS, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, THE YOUNG AND THE ELDERLY, WOMEN AS WELL AS MEN. MEN NEED NOT FEAR THIS AGENDA OF WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT AS IT IS AS MUCH TO THEIR BENEFIT AS IT IS TO THE WOMEN.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO CONCLUDE BY REAFFIRMING MY GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BEIJING PLATFORM OF ACTION TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE GOALS OF EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE AND THE REMOVAL OF ALL OBSTACLES TO WOMEN'S FULL AND EQUAL PARTICIPATION IN ALL SPHERES OF LIFE.
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